Terror casts shadow, Cong rallies cancelled

SRINAGAR: Congress candidate for bypoll to Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency G A Mir today cancelled his election meetings scheduled to be held in Pulwama following protests in the south Kashmir district over the killing of two militants in an encounter with security forces yesterday.
"The election meetings of Mir, that were scheduled to be held today in Pampore and Pulwama (assembly) constituencies, stand cancelled," a spokesman of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) said.
The election meetings were scheduled to take place in Pampore and Pulwama towns where a complete shutdown is being observed today against the killing of two militants in an encounter with security forces at Padgampora in Awantipora area yesterday. "The entire district is observing shutdown and on humanitarian grounds, we thought it better not to hold any meetings today," Mir told PTI.
A police official said stone-pelting incidents were reported from Newa and Pulwama chowk areas of the district this morning as law enforcing agencies were making efforts to restore order in the area.
So far, there were no reports of anyone getting injured in these incidents, he added.
Yesterday, two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed when they tried to ambush a police party that included three officers of the rank of superintendent of police in Pulwama district.